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Friday, June 17, 2016

Mayor of Renfrewshire

After several decades of work experience, including the Canadian Navy, company audits, dentistry and occupational safety training, Jim Miller wants to be the mayor of Renfrew.After one term on council, he's pursuing the top job. So are past candidate Callum Scott and Coun. Tom Anderson.Miller, 71, is a recovered alcoholic, who beat the bottle for good in 1981. He has been a backup preacher for a local church. He continues his comedy act of Willy and Jim that years ago took him and his knee pal across North America. He and his wife ran an Ottawa ministry in the 1980s for homeless youth. And the organist for the local Order of the Eastern Star plays many musical instruments.He also has a wide variety of business experiences, including his current self-employed businesses of MEQA (Miller Engineering Quality Assurance) and MEQA Work Safe Ontario.And he was the founding member of Renfrew's National Hockey Association/National Hockey League Birthplace Museum in 2012.Miller grew up in nearby Carp, but came to Renfrew as a teenager.Foster parents in Renfrew looked after him, after his mother died and his dad became seriously ill. Thirteen years ago, he and wife Sandra moved to Renfrew for good.So why would Miller be a good mayor for Renfrew? "The reason is because Jim Miller is willing to work with people, to their advantage and to the town's advantage, and move this town forward," he says.Though hesitant to criticize current council, he says he's frustrated with council's lack of accomplishments. Also, he says a less hierarchical system would improve decision-making. He'd like to promote a decision-making process that includes council members, senior management, other town employees and the public (with the help of semi-annual town hall meetings).His own business successes would help the town achieve more economic development, he says."Companies with budgets several times greater than Renfrew's annual budget hire me to help set goals and re-engineer or re-organize their management to achieve those goals," says Miller.